Saturday, May 30, 2015

Together With You by Victoria Bylin

Bethany House produces amazing fiction...but Together With You goes beyond that, ministering to the reader in a way that few books these days do.

Three words to describe Victoria Bylin's writing style--compelling, realistic, and satisfying. I love the fact that she isn't afraid to feature unique characters--an atheist, for example. In fact, he's the novel's hero. (Don't let that bother you. The faith element is extraordinary.) Dr. Ryan Tremaine is a man with a TRULY dark past. One that normally would make me dislike him. He cheated on his wife, an incident that resulted in a child with FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder). He has two teenagers from his marriage that he can't connect with. He's now divorced and in search of a nanny to care for his special-needs daughter.

Think The Sound of Music.

Carly Mason has all the qualifications to be the nanny--and the Bible-based faith to be the influence Ryan and his children need. She's a wholesome girl from Kentucky who's experienced her share of darkness, and she's exactly what God has planned for the Tremaine family.

As I started reading, I figured this would be a good book. As I kept reading, I realized this was a book I didn't want to put down. The writing flows, the plot is intense, and the entire reading experience is satisfying.

Like I said, this is a novel that ministers to your soul. Bylin isn't afraid to integrate hard topics and violent situations to show the extent of God's grace. I loved that.

Sometimes the most unexpected love can be exactly what a heart needs...

When a Lost Child warning blares over the mall's PA system, Carly Mason finds the little girl playing with a stuffed rabbit. Something about Penny Tremaine is different. An ex-social worker, Carly recognizes that the child suffers fetal alcohol effects, and a piece of Carly's past suddenly confronts her. Never again will she become personally involved with a client. The risks are far too great. But something about Penny--and Penny's handsome father--tugs at Carly's heart.

Dr. Ryan Tremaine is trying to put his life back together. With his ex-wife remarried and on a trip far away, his two teenage sons and Penny are living under his roof full time. Ryan has put his faith in his Sink-or-Swim list, a plan to reconnect with his children. The first step: recruit Carly Mason to be Penny's nanny.

Ryan never anticipated being so drawn to Carly, an attraction Carly seems to fight as much as he does. Could Carly be the missing piece that helps his family stay afloat, or will their blossoming romance only complicate things further?

*I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*